The invention relates to a wind stop device for motor vehicles, comprising a wind stop element, a holder for the wind stop element mountable so as to engage a receiving space of a motor vehicle body, the wind stop element being mounted on the holder in such a way that it can be brought from an active position projecting above a girth line of the motor vehicle body to an inactive position lying essentially within an outer contour of the motor vehicle body and vice versa.
Such wind stop devices are known from the prior art. The problem with these is that transfer thereof from the inactive position to the active position requires complex movements which have to be carried out manually.
The object underlying the invention is therefore to so improve a wind stop device of the generic kind that a manual transfer from the inactive position to the active position and vice versa can be dispensed with.
This object is accomplished with a wind stop device of the kind described at the outset, in accordance with the invention, in that the wind stop element is transferable between the inactive position and the active position by means of a lifting device provided with an electric drive.
The advantage of the solution according to the invention is to be seen in that convenient movement of the wind stop device between the active position and the inactive position is achievable, and, in particular, a lifting device offers a simple kinematic possibility to move the wind stop element by means of an electric drive between the inactive position and the active position.
In principle, the design of the lifting device is optional. For example, it is conceivable to provide as lifting device a type of xe2x80x9clazy tongsxe2x80x9d with which lifting of the wind stop element and lowering of the wind stop element are achievable.
However, a particularly suitable solution provides for the lifting device to comprise two lifting units arranged at a distance from one another in a transverse direction. Such an arrangement of the lifting units has the advantage that with these a stable, tilt-free positioning of the wind stop element in the respective positions is possible, and, in particular, also in the intermediate positions between the inactive position and the active position a precise guidance of the wind stop element can take place, which is a prerequisite for achieving a movability of the wind stop element which is insusceptible to failure.
In order to suitably arrange the two lifting units, it is preferably provided for the holder to comprise two supports on which the lifting units are arranged, with the supports being arranged at a distance from one another in the transverse direction and extending in a lifting direction. Such an implementation of the holder creates, in particular, the possibility of simple assembly, as the entire holder for the wind stop device also simultaneously constitutes via the supports a holder for the lifting units.
Furthermore, a sufficiently stable arrangement of the wind stop element provides for the wind stop element to be guided by means of an exit guide arranged near an exit opening provided for the wind stop element in the body. Such an exit guide for the wind stop element located near the exit opening is advantageous for positioning the wind stop element in a stable and reliable manner in its active position and can also be used to keep the wind stop element guided in a defined manner in its inactive position so that a trouble-free functioning of the wind stop device is guaranteed by a mechanically precise guidance throughout the period of use.
It is particularly suitable for the exit guide to be arranged on the holder because, on the one hand, in the manufacture and assembly of the wind stop device the location of the exit guide can likewise be specified in a defined manner relative to the holder and, therefore, in particular when the lifting units are also arranged on the holder, a prefabrication of the wind stop device for assembly is possible, with the entire relative positioning of lifting units, exit guide and wind stop element being predeterminable with the necessary precision before the assembly of the wind stop device in the motor vehicle body so as to avoid during assembly or after assembly any need for an exact positioning or adjustment of the individual components relative to one another.
Further details of the function of the lifting units themselves were not given in connection with the above explanation of the embodiments. An advantageous embodiment of the inventive solution provides for the lifting units to be coupled with one another in such a way that all the positions of the wind stop element attainable by these are aligned parallel to one another. Such a coupling of the lifting units makes it possible for the wind stop element during movement between the active and the inactive positions to always move between positions aligned parallel with one another and to thereby guarantee optimum mechanical guidance of the wind stop element on the holder. Moreover, such a guidance is advantageous insofar as it ensures a trouble-free, jerk-free running of the wind stop element, and, on the other hand, consequently also a prolonged life span of the lifting device.
In principle, it is conceivable to couple the two lifting units with one another via a control, for example, electronically, so that they move the wind stop element in the required manner into positions parallel to one another.
However, it is particularly simple and cost-efficient for the two lifting units to be movable in mechanical synchronization with one another. Such a mechanical synchronization can, for example, be imposed via lever linkages or tractive elements.
This can, however, be achieved particularly simply when the lifting units are coupled with one another by a connecting transmission.
Such a connecting transmission which, in particular, extends in the transverse direction between the lifting units, can be arranged in many different ways. For example, a conceivable possibility is to provide separate elements on the holder therefor. A particularly suitable solution provides for the connecting transmission to be arranged in the area of a crossbeam of the holder.
Herein, the crossbeam can be arranged at optional positions on the holder. It is, however, particularly suitable for the connecting transmission to be arranged in the area of an upper crossbeam of the holder, which is preferably provided near the exit opening for the wind stop element on the body and in the most suitable case also carries the exit guide.
The lifting units according to the invention can be driven individually. For example, even with mechanically imposed synchronization it is possible to drive each of the lifting units by means of a drive motor. This would, for example, have the advantage that the lifting units could be constructed as identical units with the synchronization taking place in each case via mechanical connections, which, for example, with electric drives impose a synchronous movement.
It is, however, particularly advantageous, in particular in order to obtain a cost-efficient solution, for both lifting units to be drivable by means of a single electric drive.
Very different solutions are conceivable for the design of the lifting units. For example, it is conceivable to design the lifting units in the form of telescopic cylinders.
However, these involve high space requirements. For this reason, a particularly suitable solution is for each of the lifting units to comprise a lifting transmission which acts upon the wind stop element.
Such a lifting transmission could, for example, take the form of an endless, rotatingly mounted strand which is coupled with the wind stop element via an engagement point.
However, a particularly suitable solution provides for each lifting transmission to comprise a lifting spindle with a spindle nut. Such a lifting transmission design has the considerable advantage that large forces are easily generated with a lifting spindle and a spindle nut moved by the lifting spindle, and, in addition, a precise guidance of the spindle nut is guaranteed.
To be able to work with a large thread pitch it is advantageous for a multiple thread to be used.
In particular, lifting spindles are also easy to couple with one another mechanically so as to obtain a synchronous movement of the two lifting units relative to one another.
In principle, it is conceivable to already achieve guidance of the wind stop element in the lifting direction via the lifting transmission, in particular, the lifting spindle.
However, in order to achieve easy running and, at the same time, precise guidance of the wind stop element during movement between the inactive position and the active position, it has proven to be advantageous for each of the lifting units to comprise a path guide extending in the lifting direction for the wind stop element.
Such a path guide is coupled, in particular, with a lower area of the wind stop element and guides it, preferably in addition to the guidance of the wind stop element by means of the exit guide.
Many different possibilities are conceivable for the arrangement of the path guide relative to the lifting transmission. One simple possibility provides for the path guide to extend alongside the lifting transmission, and so, on the one hand, the drive and, at the same time, the guide of the wind stop element are located close to one another in the area of each lifting unit.
In particular, it is advantageous for the path guide to be arranged on the supports for the lifting units so that two assemblies provided on the holder are formed, each of which is usable, on the one hand, for the drive, and, on the other hand, for the exact guidance of the wind stop element.
In order to avoid, at the same time, an excess geometrical determination of the lifting transmission when using a path guide, and, consequently, a possible impairment of the lifting transmission by xe2x80x9cjammingxe2x80x9d owing to this excess geometrical determination, it is preferably provided for the wind stop element to be coupled with each of the lifting transmissions via a lift bearing allowing a tilting transversely to the lifting direction.
In particular, such a lift bearing is advantageous when on account of its shape the wind stop element is movable not in one plane only, but, for example, owing to a curvature thereof, can perform additional movements transversely to the plane. This can, for example, be achieved by means of such a lift bearing.
Moreover, either the path guide is adapted to the movement to be carried out by the wind stop element, or also movability of the coupling between the path guide and the movement of the wind stop element is provided. For example, the connecting element between path guide and wind stop element can also be designed so as to allow a relative movement so that the path guide represents a linear guidance, while the lifting element carries out additional movements transversely to the plane provided by the path guide.
To be able to construct the wind stop element according to the invention in as space-saving a way as possible, and, in particular, to keep the receiving space in the motor vehicle as small as possible, it is preferably provided for the lifting device to extend essentially over an area over which the wind stop element extends in its inactive position. This means that the space requirement of the lifting device does not substantially exceed the space requirement of the wind stop element in its inactive position, however, the lifting device can extend slightly beyond the wind stop element in the inactive position.
It is particularly expedient for the lifting units of the lifting device to extend essentially over the area over which the wind stop element extends when standing in the inactive position so that, in particular, the space requirement for the lifting units is not appreciably larger than the space requirement for the wind stop element when standing in the inactive position. However, this does not exclude the lifting units extending partly with end portions beyond the wind stop element in its inactive position, as this is absolutely necessary on account of geometric conditions if the wind stop element is to be reliably guided by the lifting units, on the one hand, in its inactive position, and, on the other hand, in its active position.
Furthermore, in order to suitably arrange the lifting transmissions, it is preferably provided for the lifting transmissions to lie in a plane extending approximately parallel to the wind stop element in its inactive position.
The space requirement in the transverse direction can be configured in a particularly suitable way by the lifting transmissions lying in the transverse direction between maximally outwardly located side edges of the wind stop element in its inactive position because the lifting transmissions cause no widening of the wind stop device in the transverse direction and so the wind stop element itself can extend in the transverse direction over a maximum possible width relative to the motor vehicle body.
Also for the arrangement of the path guides it is suitable for these to run in a plane extending approximately parallel to the wind stop element in its inactive position so that the path guides as well have no additional space requirement in the transverse direction.
Further details of the design of the wind stop element itself were so far not given. One possibility provides for the wind stop element to be formed from a rigid material shaped like a plate. Such a rigid material shaped like a plate could, for example, be a metal sheet having perforations. It is, however, also conceivable to form the wind stop element from a plate of translucent material, for example, glass or transparent plastic, which may or may not have perforations.
Another advantageous possibility provides for the wind stop element to comprise a rigid frame with an insert, for example, a covering, with the insert being transparent. This can be in the form of either a translucent material or a flat material having perforations, for example, net-like material. This material may, for example, also be pervious to air.
Moreover, it is conceivable, in particular, in order to save space in the motor vehicle body, to deform the wind stop element itself during movement between the active position and the inactive position. For example, the wind stop element could be additionally unfolded or at least its shape enlarged when moving from the inactive position to the active position.
It is particularly suitable for the wind stop element to be movable in a form-invariant manner between the active position and the inactive position, because, on the one hand, this allows a simple design of the wind stop element, and, on the other hand, represents a simple solution provided with a drive, which, in particular, operates extremely reliably with respect to the mechanical functioning.
Further features and advantages of the invention are the subject of the following description as well as the drawings of several embodiments.